Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Though 2006 was arguably the best season in New Orleans Saints history, the campaign was only the beginning of this streak of NFL competitive relevance in the Crescent City. Despite steps backwards in 2007 and 2008, the team has quietly been adding front-end talent and admirable depth since that NFC Championship appearance against the Bears. Now, as Drew Brees put it, "...we're at this stage in our careers where this is kind of our prime. ... So this is our window of opportunity. This is our chance to walk together forever, to go down in history together." After over 40 years and just two playoff wins, is this the year the Saints finally break through?
While NFL players serve league-imposed suspensions, they're ineligible to practice, work out at the training facilities, or participate in any other team activities, which means it's up to them to stay in shape on their own. But for three players who are suspended for the start of the 2009 season, they'll be training at former UFC champion Randy Couture's mixed martial arts gym in Las Vegas.
Rich Cimini of the New York Daily Newsreports that Jets outside linebacker Calvin Pace and Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant -- all of whom will serve four-game suspensions for using banned supplements -- are going to spend that time working out at Xtreme Couture, a gym widely regarded as one of the best MMA training facilities in the world.
METAIRIE, La. -- There's one thing you immediately notice about how the Saints conduct practice here: It's fast. Running backs dash all over the place. Wide receivers scoot past people.
Then you notice the defense.
Let Reggie Bush get within inches of a hole in the line of scrimmage, and five defenders will try and strip him of the ball. Let Pierre Thomas turn the corner, and when he's stopped for a two-yard gain, the entire defense charges in and pushes him back.
It's part of a change in attitude led by new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
It's August, meaning we all think our favorite teams are Super Bowl contenders. Some teams get more championship hype than others, however. In this series, we look at those fawned-over franchises and their potential flaws and advise: Don't Believe the Hype.
Saints fans are no strangers to preseason hype; it seems the only year this decade the team wasn't predicted to be a contender was in 2006, when they of course went 10-6 and made the NFC championship game. This offseason is no different. Jon Gruden thinks they've got a real shot at the big game. And he's not alone.
The team significantly improved its defense via personnel and the hiring of coordinator Gregg Williams, and the offense remains intact (and might actually be improved if Robert Meachem makes the jump to every-down receiver, as has been discussed). If the defense can improve, the team should be dangerous. But alas, there are issues ...
It's July, the slowest month of the year for the NFL, and it's driving you nuts. You need a fix. A hit. Anything NFL to pull you through the dog days. FanHouse is here to help with an in-depth look at each division that should have you plenty prepared for training camp. We're calling it the Summer Scramble, and today we look at some burning questions in the NFC South and offer a ridiculously early prediction of how the division will finish.
This is a good thing, this ruling that came down Saturday in the StarCaps case. You may not see it that way if you're a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, who now face the first four games of their season without their Pro Bowl defensive tackles. Or if your team is the New Orleans Saints, who've likely lost their starting defensive ends for those first four games.
But if you're the kind of person who thinks pro athletes (and, by extension, the children who admire them) should be discouraged from taking drugs to cheat at their games, you have to look at today's development as a positive.
Those five players -- well, four if McAllister doesn't sign somewhere -- will be forced to sit out the first quarter of the season for their respective teams.
Great news for Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints fans. Maybe.
A federal judge has blocked the suspensions of five players, including Vikings Pro Bowl defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams. The five were banned for the last four games of the NFL regular season after testing positive for a banned diuretic over the summer and eventually having their appeals heard and denied.
The legal process started Wednesday, when the Williamses (not related) took their case to a district court in Minneapolis. There they convinced a judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the suspensions and allowing the two to return to practice.
Both tackles have returned to practice, and actually were at the Vikings' facility Friday instead of at the hearing over this latest legal action.
As expected, the NFL Players Association has filed suit in federal court asking that suspensions of six players be overturned.
From the Associated Press story via Access Vikings:
The NFL Players Association is suing to block five of the six player suspenions for violating the league's anti-doping policy. The suit field in federal court is on behalf of Kevin and Pat Williams of the Vikings and Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints. The five players were suspended for testing positive for a banned diuretic that can be used as a masking agent for steroids. The diuretic was in a supplement that did not list the diuretic as an ingredient.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports the union is going to ask for a ruling by Friday, meaning that the involved teams are left twisting in the wind regarding the availability of their players.
Houston's Bryan Pittman isn't included in this lawsuit.
This filing comes less than 24 hours after a Twin Cities judge issued a temporary restraining order to block the suspensions of the two involved Vikings.
The players all tested positive for the banned substance Bumetanide. They all appealed the suspensions, saying that Bumetanide is an ingredient in the over-the-counter supplement Star Caps, and that the NFL did not tell players that Star Caps is banned. But the NFL turned down their appeals.
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson was not suspended even though it has been reported that he also tested positive for Bumetanide. The NFL did not explain why Jackson was not suspended.
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
While NFL players serve league-imposed suspensions, they're ineligible to practice, work out at the training facilities, or participate in any other team activities, which means it's up to them to stay in shape on their own. But for three players who are suspended for the start of the 2009 season, they'll be training at former UFC champion 
METAIRIE, La. -- There's one thing you immediately notice about how the Saints conduct practice here: It's fast. Running backs dash all over the place. Wide receivers scoot past people. 
It's August, meaning we all think our favorite teams are Super Bowl contenders. Some teams get more championship hype than others, however. In this series, we look at those fawned-over franchises and their potential flaws and advise: 
This is a good thing, 
As you may recall, five NFL players were slapped with respective four-game suspensions late last season -- though they never served them while their legal claims were being heard in court. Friday, a 
Great news for Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints fans. Maybe.
The NFL has suspended six players for four games apiece for using a banned substance.
